Garbage and Recycling - Recycling Tips

Community Recycling Centres

The Stretch Test

Try the stretch test for plastic bags. If you can easily stretch a plastic bag (like a grocery bag), put it in your blue box. If you can't easily stretch a plastic bag, put it in the garbage. Note: both inner and outer milk bags can go in your blue box.

Take all of your stretchy plastic bags, stuff them in one stretchy plastic bag and tie the handles together.

Tips for paper and cardboard

Here are some important things you need to know about recycling your paper and cardboard:

Stack a heavier blue box on top of a lighter blue box so stuff doesn't blow away.

Stand paper and cardboard up-and-down instead of laying them flat so they don't fly away.

Paper and cardboard will only be picked up if they are in a blue recycling box from the City of Hamilton, a plastic container that is the same size and shape as a blue box from the City of Hamilton or a clear plastic bag that is tied at the top.

Put all your paper and cardboard into one blue box, and put all your bottles, cans and jars into a different blue box.

If you see a bright yellow sticker on your blue box after therecycling truck has come by, it means you have made amistake. We use these stickers, called "Oops! stickers", to help you figure out what you did wrong.

Paper that has food on it doesn't go in your blue box – it goes in your green bin:

Brown paper bags

Facial tissues

Paper coffee cups

Paper cups

Paper towels

Waxed paper

Waxed paper coffee cups

Waxed paper cups

This stuff goes in your garbage:

Carbon paper

Construction paper (with tape, glue or staples)

Diapers

Hard covers from books (The pages go in your papers blue box.)

Tips for glass, plastic, cans, containers

Here are some important things you need to know about recycling your bottles, cans and jars:

All of your bottles, cans and jars must be empty before you put them in your blue box.

Take the lids off all your bottles, cans and jars.

Throw all your metal lids into your blue box.

If a plastic container has the number 1, 2, 5 or 6 inside the recycling symbol (called a mobius loop) put it in your blue box. If it doesn't, put it in the garbage.

Give your bottles, cans and jars a quick rinse before you put them in your blue box.

Make sure each blue box does not weigh more than 13 kilograms (or 30 pounds).

Bottles, cans and jars will only be picked up if they are in:

a blue recycling box from the City of Hamilton,

a plastic container that is the same size and shape as a blue box from the City of Hamilton, or

a clear plastic bag that is tied at the top.

Top it off! Be sure to take the lids off all your bottles,cans and jars.

If you see a bright yellow sticker on your blue box after the recycling truck has come by, it means you havemade a mistake. We use these stickers, called "Oops! stickers", to help you figure out what you did wrong.

You will get an Oops! sticker if you put any of these things in your blue box with your bottles, cans and jars:

Batteries

Broken glass

Bubble wrap

Candy wrappers

CDs (compact discs)

Cereal box bags

Chip bags

Cling wrap

Cracker box bags

Drink pouches

Glass drinking cups

Light bulbs

Mirrors

Motor oil bottles

Needles

Pails

Syringes

Toys

Windows

Some containers that contained hazardous waste liquids and oils are not recyclable. Empty containers from motor oil, anti-freeze fluid and transmission fluid go in your garbage.